Police Brief: DPS troopers arrest 2, seize cocaine worth $580,000

Posted: Thursday, July 16, 2009

Department of Public Safety troopers arrested two people this week who they say took their 5-year-old son along while smuggling drugs via Interstate 40.

Troopers said they arrested Jose Antonio Vera, 44, and Jenny Natalie Vera, 41, both of San Luis, Ariz., for possession of a controlled substance after they allegedly found 8,000 grams of cocaine in the trunk and the rear seat of the vehicle during a traffic stop near Conway.

The seizure was valued at $584,000.

Troopers said they first stopped the vehicle for speeding about 7 a.m. Tuesday and searched the vehicle after receiving permission.

The Veras, traveling from Ontario, Calif., to Chicago, were taken to the Carson County jail. The pair's 5-year-old son was turned over to state Child Protective Services.